Vending apparatus



(Non/rml.)

J. B. MOOS.

1 VENDING APPARATUS. No. 434,606. Patented Aug. 19, 18.90.

lll! lllllllll ijf' N HAHAHA i uml ll UNITED `STATns PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. MOOS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VENDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,606, dated August19, 1890.

Application led J'nly Z9, l889. Serial No. 3181995. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOSEPH B. MOOS, acitizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Chicago, in the 'county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a newY and useful Improvement in Vending Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvementin Vvending apparatus of the classwherein the articles to be vended are inclosed by the apdevice for thevending more especially of vss cigars or cigarettes, adapted to receivethe articles in original or stamped packages, whereby the delivery ofeach cigar or cigarette when the device is actuated shall be directlyfrom such package.

The apparatus illustrated in the drawings is one particularly adaptedfor vending cigars, and for purposes of illustration it is shown removedfrom its inclosing-case. v

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the device; Fig. 2, the same inside elevation, with a portion broken away g Fig. 3, a view in elevationof a detail; Fig. 4, an end view of the detail shown in Fig. 3, and Fig.5 a detail in perspective.

A represents the frame of the device, which may be constructed as shown,or in any manner which will afford a proper support for the partshereinafter described.

Located, preferably, in the lower forward portion of the frame A isdischarge mechanism B, comprising a rock-shaft t, having formed thereona receptacle or support for a single cigar, and carrying toward one endya fixed lever s. So that there need be but slight friction of therock-shaft in its bearings, the latter are afforded by pointedset-screws r, which extend through yielding brackets fr xed to theframe, and aiford pivot-points which engage opposite extremities of theshaft. The discharging-receptacle upon the rock-shaft is formed,preferably, for purposes of lightness of two or more stops or supports,which may be in the form-of disks g, fixed at intervals upon the shaftt, which extends centrally through them and provided with circularshallowrecesses q', coinciding with each other inV relative position.The lever s has a short arm, from which is suspended a weight p, whichrises and falls in a guide or housing'p, and along arm provided at itsextremity with a scoop-shaped receptacle s. The weight p operates tomaintain the lever normally in an upwardly-inclined position against theunder side of a stop o, which is iixed to the frame, and when the leveris in its said normal position the recesses q are on the upper side ofthe rockshaft.- Extending from the upper forward part of the frame downto a point directly over the receptacle s', when the latter is in itsnormal position, is an inclined channel or coinway C. Toward its upperend the coin- Yway is provided with a face-plate n, having a slot oropening n of determinate shape and dimensions. The coinway is of zigzagform, as shown, to afford a short and subst-antially vertical upperportion y, a short and slightly inclined portion y', and a more or lessvertical portion y2.

The magazine' for the articles to be vended comprises an upright box D,which may be of any desiredlength, and is arranged -tohold a singlelayer of the I articles, and a conduit E. The box is preferably open atboth ends, with a longitudinal opening -m in its face, and is preferablyadj ustablen into and removable from its operative position and coniinedtoward its lower end, when in position, between spring-guidesf. Theconduit extends from the lower open end of the box D downward to a pointdirectly over and in proper proximity to the normal position of therecesses q', and its channel should equal or exceed in crosssection theinterior of the box D, of which it forms practically'a continuation. Achute.

or slide l extends from a point in rear of the shaft t down to a trayl', secured upon the front side of the frame near the base thereof.

The device may be adapted to be actuated to deliver a cigar by theinsertion into the IOO slot 'n' of a coin of any desired value. In thepresent instance it is arranged to be actuated by a tive-cent nickelcoin, and the slot n is therefore of dimensions which will admit such acoin, but none larger. To prevent a coin of smaller dimensions than anickel from reaching the discharge mechanism, I provide a slot n2through the under sideV of the coinway VC in the part y at a pointdirectly in line with vertical portion y, which slot is a trifle smallerin dimensions than the slot n', and therefore capable of admittingthrough it any coin smaller than a nickel. The shape of the coinway andlocation of the slots n ln2 make it necessary Vfor every coin to fallagainst the slot n2, and :it is impossible for a coin which would passthrough it to roll or be thrown beyond it in the coinway.

In operation the cigars to be vended are placed in the box D, thelowermost few descending into the conduit E, with the first (thedischarge mechanism being in normal position) resting in the receptacleafforded therefor, as described, by the recesses q of the disks q, andwhen in the said recesses the upper side of the cigar is just below theopen end of the conduit. The weight p, which holds down the short arm ofthe lever s, is but little heavier than is necessary to maintain thedischarge mechanism in operative position, and it may be gaged so thatthe weight of a nickel coupled with the force of its impact against thereceptacle s', after descending through the coinway, is necessary tobear down the long arm of the lever. When a nickel therefore is insertedthrough the slot n' and, running down the coinway, strikes thereceptable s', the downward swing of the long arm of the lever turns therock-shaft and recessed disks q, which withdraw the lowermost cigar frombelow the mouth of the conduitE and dischargeit onto the chute Z, whenceit rolls into the trayvl. The peripheries of the disks q being near themouth of the conduit, prevent the escape of the cigars therefrom as thedisks rotate, and hold them until the return of the recesses q to theirnormal position, and permit the next cigar to drop therein free of theconduit. Directly beyond the path of the outer extremity of thereceptacle s and extending from the upper limit of its swing to within aproper distance from the lower limit thereof is a shield k, whichprojects across the open end of the receptacle s and prevents the escapeof the nickel therefrom before the said receptacle has reachedsubstantially its lowest limit. After passing the lower end of theshield 7a the nickel is free to roll out of the receptacle s intoanother receptacle z', placed, as shown, in position to receive it, andbeing freed of the weight of the coin the discharge mechanism quicklyassumes its normal position. To check the downward swing of the leverand hasten its return a spring-arm h may be provided in the 'positionshown for the lever to strike against, the resilience of the springcausing the lever to rebound, and that the receptacle s may alwaysreturn to a position in line with the coinway a guide consisting of twoHaring arms g may be provided, between which the lever will rise and bcdirected to its proper position.

The conduit E is inclined and of preferably ogee shape, whereby itoperates to relieve the lower ones of the articles to be vended from thegreater part of the weight of the articles above, and thus reduces thestrain upon the discharge mechanism necessary to remove the lower-mostarticle from under the one which rests immediately upon it, and to thefriction of the disks against the latter article in the return of thedischarge mechanism toits normal position. The conduit E, however, isnot indispensable, and the box D could be caused to extend with itslower open end in the position of the mouth of the conduit and comprisein itself the magazine of the device.

As before stated, the box D is preferably adjustable into and removablefrom its opcrative position in the device. Thus the articles to bevended may be placed in the box while it is in a more or less horizontalposition and away from the device, and a cord tied longitudinally aroundthe box, as shown, to hold the articles while the box is being placed inthe device, when removal of the cord will permit the articles to descendinto the conduit E. Two or more such boxes may be employed in connectionwith each vending apparatus, and one kept always filled that it maybeexchanged for the one in the case whenever the latter shall become emptyand the charging of the device be thus effected quickly and with ease.

As the revenue laws require that cigars be sold from their originalstamped packages, the box D will afford a convenient package for theshipment and handling of cigars. The packages may be stamped, asrequired by law, and inserted into the device without disturbing thecigars.

The box may be of any desired materialas wood, pasteboard, or sheetmetal-open or arranged to be opened at one or both ends. For shipmentthey may be packed in cases of desired size, and they will operate toprotect the cigars in every way as well as the boxes in ordinary use.

The inclosing-case for the device should obviously be provided with anopening, through which ready and convenient access may be had to theslot fn', or through which the coinway may project at its upperextremity, and with another opening lto allow the articles as they aredischarged to roll into the tray, which should project beyond the case,and thus be within easy reach of the purchaser. It should also have anopen ing closed by a door secured by a lock or the like, and throughwhich the boxes D may be inserted and withdrawn.l The case should beorna` mented and attractive in appearance, and it IIO may be arranged torest upon a stand or to hang upon a suitable support, as desired.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Avending apparatus comprisingin conibination a magazine forcontaining the articles to be vended, an oscillating support for thelowermost article, an arm directly connected to and operating theoscillating support, a coinway, and a coin-receptacle on the free end ofthe arm in line with the downward movement of the coin, substantially asdescribed, whereby the coin impinges upon the arm to oscillate thesupport and cause the lowermost article to fall and be discharged.

2. Avendingapparatus comprisingin combination a magazine for containingthe articles to be vended, a support for the lowermost article mountedon a rock-shaft, an arm and a counter-weight upon the rock-shaft, and acoinway, the free end of the rock-shaft arm being in theline of themovement of the falling coin, substantially as described.

3. In a vending apparatus, the combination, with a supporting-frame, ofa coinway C, having an insertion-slot n and open at its lower end, amagazineto contain the articles to be vended open at its lowerextremity, and discharge mechanism comprising a rock-shaft t, providedwith a receptacle for the lowermost article contained in the magazine,and carrying toward one end a lever s, weighted toward one end andprovided toward its opposite end with a coin-receptacle s', main-vtained by the weight normally below and in line with the coinway,wherebya coin inserted in the coinway will strike the receptacle s anddepress the lever, thus upsetting the discharge mechanism, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

4. A vending apparatus comprising in combination a magazine forcontaining the articles to be vended,a sustainingand dischargingmechanism for the lowermost articles cornprising oscillating supportsarranged at intei-vals across the path of the article, an arm operatingthe oscillating supports, a coinway,

- and a coin-receptacle on the free end of the arm in linewith thedownward movement of the coin, substantially as described, whereby thecoin impinges upon the arm to oscillate the support and cause thelowermost article to fall and be discharged.

5. In a vending apparatus, the combination, with a supporting-frame, ofa coinway C, having an insertion-slot fn', and open at its lower end, amagazine for the articles to be vended comprising an adjustable andremovable box D, capable of containing onlya sin gle layer of thearticles to be vended and open at ,its

lower end, and discharge mechanism comprising a rock-shaft t, providedwith a receptacle for theA lowermost article contained in the magazineand carrying toward one end a lever s, weighted toward one end andprovided o5 toward its opposite end with a coin-receptacle s',maintained by the weight normally below and in line with the -c0inway,whereby a coin inserted in the coinway will strike the receptacle s anddepress the lever, thus up- 7o setting the discharge mechanism,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a vending apparatus, the combination, with a supporting-frame, ofa coinway C, having an insertion-slot n', and open at its lower 75 end,a magazine for the articles to be vended comprising an adjustable andremovable box D, open at its lower end, capable of containing only asingle layer of the articles to be vended, and an inclined conduit E,and dis- 8o charge mechanism comprising a rock-shaft provided with areceptacle for the lowermost article Acontained in the conduit, andcarrying toward one end a lever s, weighted toward one end andV providedtoward its opposite end 85 with a coin-receptacle s', maintained by theweight normally below and in line with the coinway, whereby acoininserted in the coinway will strike the receptacle s and depress (thelever, thus upsetting the discharge mech- 9o anism, ysubstantially asand for the purpose set forth.

7. In a vending apparatus for cigars, cigarettes, and the like, in'Vcombination, a removable box constituting-the magazine of an area 9 5 toreceive a single layer of the article, and arranged vertically andhaving a visual opening in its front extending from end to end, theoscillating support for the lowermost ar-.

ticle and its operating mechanism, and an inroo clined conduit extendingfrom the lower end of the box to the oscillating support, whereby thearticles shall be fed downward by gravity and the pressure upon theoscillating support shall be reduced, substantially as de- 105 scribed.f

8. In a vending apparatus employing a magazine to contain the articlesto be vended, means for controlling the discharge having a rock-shaftsupported near the discharge 1ro end of the magazine, and carrying atintervals and at a distance apart shorter than the length of the articleto be discharged peripherally curved and separate stops q', providedwith peripheral recesses affording together a 115 M. J. Fnosr.

